NCSE congratulates Bruce Alberts of the University of California, San Francisco, on his appointment as editor-in-chief of Science, published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He succeeds Donald Kennedy, who served as editor-in-chief since 2000.

The Institute for Creation Research, a young-earth creationist organization, has cleared the first hurdle in its quest for authorization to issue master's degrees in science education in Texas. "The nonprofit Institute for Creation Research in Dallas wants to train future science teachers in Texas and elsewhere using an online curriculum.

Selected content from volume 27, numbers 1-2, of Reports of the National Center for Science Education is now available on NCSE's website, including Tim Heaton's report on his visit to Answers in Genesis's Creation Museum and Eugenie C.

Over two weeks after it was first reported that Christine Comer was forced to resign from her post at the Texas Education Agency, apparently because she forwarded a brief e-mail announcing a lecture on "intelligent design" by Barbara Forrest, the state's newspapers continue to provide a steady stream of news and commentary. And groups with a stake in the integrity of science education in Texas continue to voice their concern.

The Alliance for Science -- a non-profit organization which seeks "to heighten public understanding and support for science and to preserve the distinctions between science and religion in the public sphere" -- is holding its second annual essay contest. The theme is "Climate, Agriculture, and Evolution." Students are encouraged to submit essays of up to 1000 words on one of two topics: "Climate and Evolution and "Agriculture and Evolution."